Networking & Communications

One of the biggest news stories to break over the past week has been the revelation that the U.S. government has been accessing the phone and email records of its citizens in the name of counterterrorism. Since 2001, the National Security Agency has been extra-legally (but not exactly illegally) monitoring constituents' telecommunications as a means of protecting them from another horrific terrorist attack. I'll point out the obvious, that as of this writing several large terrorist plots have been thwarted, while smaller ones have gone unabated. It's also been revealed that the United States is far from alone in this practice.

Since this is CR4 however, that's about as far as I'll take the political rhetoric. In no shape am I prepared to offer you my opinion on the policies of my government, no matter how George Orwell-ian they seem.

The U.S. has made it no secret that it intends to levy criminal - and possibly martial - charges against Edward Snowden. Snowden was employed as a systems administrator at an NSA facility in Hawaii before fleeing to Hong Kong in May so he could disclose his classified knowledge. He chose Hong Kong because, despite its extradition treaty with the U.S., it has a very liberal freedom of press policy and a slow-moving extradition process which would involve the Chinese. Snowden has stated he will seek asylum in Iceland but stay in Hong Kong until no longer welcome. As such, he has gone into hiding, thereby setting up a very Jason Bourne-like manhunt where he must rely on his acumen to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.

But how do you hide your electronic fingerprints, and then your physical fingerprints, from the most powerful and technologically advanced spying agencies in the world? Here is a beginner's list to 'getting off the grid.'

1. Go cell phone anonymous. If you insist on retaining your current phone, remove the battery when it's not in use so your movement cannot be triangulated. Otherwise, buy a no-contract cell phone from a store without closed circuit surveillance. These 'burner phones' are typically cheap, so it's best to dispose of them after just a few days.
2. Get e-smart. Apple has stated that in a period of six months it receives about 4,500 NSA requests, while Facebook received 10,000 and Microsoft 6,000 within the same time period. If you use a commercial email like Outlook, Gmail or Yahoo!, then you should check the security settings to see if you can encrypt your messages. This will translate your messages into ciphertext, which remains unreadable once intercepted. If email encryption isn't available, don't use it, or instead pay for an encryptable email such as Hushmail. Web browsers Chrome and Firefox offer an add-on called HTTPS Everywhere, which will encrypt your connection to nearly every website. Web browsers expose similar weaknesses as email, and encrypting your connection to websites is typically very easy. In the website address, try switching "http" to "https" to provide a secure connection.
3. Disappear quietly. When you disappear, it shouldn't be as a surprise to anyone. Don't fake a kidnapping or anything else. In the same vein, don't falsify documents or plans - it will only lead to more attention and speculation.
4. Get rid of your car. Don't ditch it in the lake because it will be found. Instead, leave it unlocked in a poor neighborhood, possibly with the keys in the cupholder.
5. Get rid of your friends and family. While not exactly the easiest thing to do, slowly phasing yourself out of the social setting of those closest to you is a must. Even more important: permanently eliminating social network accounts. It's easy for investigators to comb through electronic records, but much more costly to track down hard leads.
6. Go cash-only. Credit cards create a paper trail, as do ATM cards.
7. Misinformation is critical. It can still be almost impossible to eliminate important clues as to where you are going or what you're doing. Therefore it can be essential to skew personal records. This can be done by establishing false addresses, purposefully misspelling your name, and tell misleading stories. Providing too much information, if incorrect, is as effective as no information.
8. Find an off-grid settlement. Whether a transcendental compound or an abandoned wasteland, finding a place to hang your hat is essential. Consider Slab City, Calif., a WWII-era abandoned Marine base where several thousand squatters live without plumbing, local government or mains electricity. There are a variety of reasons to move to Slab City (retirement, idealism, hiding), which is located in the middle of the Colorado Desert. Living in a remote area where you're unlikely to be found is best.
9. Go alone. Edward Snowden seems to be travelling with his fiancé, but doing so increases his risk of being found dramatically.
10. Reinvent yourself. Change your hair, your name, your wardrobe, your backstory, your habits. Commit them to memory.

This list may seem frivolous, but consider the most recent manhunts conducted by the U.S. The Boston Marathon bombers were killed and captured. Julian Assange is forced to live in cramped quarters after being granted asylum by the Ecuadorian Embassy located in London. Osama bin Laden, a fugitive for a decade, was eventually killed.

Once again…with feeling, I'm not defending the U.S. government or Edward Snowden. I'm just presenting a very basic list for getting lost in an era where it's nearly impossible, especially when the hunters have an exhaustive list of resources. When you need this list you'll know where to find it; just not me.

Resources

CNN - How to hide your data from Internet snoops

CNET - Apple details U.S. requests...

DPL Surveillance - Dropping Off the Grid...

Are you bored with all your projects? Do you need another electronic gadget to waste your time and money on, CR4er? Has your spouse not complained enough about all of your unfinished projects? Well, have I got a proposal for you!

"I'm listening..." ...via Bret Contreras

No matter your personal feelings on Thomas Edison, it is widely accepted that he was an innovator who thought outside the box. Some people hated him because of his personal dispute with Nikola Tesla, some people loved him because he invented a chair that wouldn't tip over, and some people really, really wanted to talk to him from the other side of the grave, apparently.

Or so Edison believed. In the October 1920 issue of The American Magazine, Edison lays claim to his development of an "apparatus to see if it is possible for personalities which have left this earth to communicate with us." So, essentially Edison wanted to build a ghost phone. Shortly afterward, an interview in Scientific American mentioned Thomas was working on a prototype. However, no schematics or drawings were found (or, allegedly went missing) for this device, so it remains unclear if Edison actually went to work on such a machine. The clearest detail of the subject is that it utilized a very sensitive valve that had intensified results. At least he thought the technology was there, and had a peculiar interest in the macabre.

"Ring, dammit!" ...via Retro Junk

So, that was almost a century ago. Where are we on the whole ghost phone thing today?

Well, no one has been able to reproduce Edison's spirit phone. However in 1979, two friends built what they called The Spiricom. It was a set of 13 tone generators that spanned the range of the human male voice.

As George Meek, a self-made air conditioning industrialist, believed, "Well, all the spiritual universes-and there are hundreds of them-they're all sharing this space with our physical universe, like radio signals sharing this room." It was through The Spiricom that Meek, and his friend Bill O'Neil, believed they could tune in to the multiple frequencies of the spirit world. When Meek or O'Neil spoke into the machine, their voices would become distorted, much like that annoying thing Peter Frampton uses.

"It's for you." ...via Vigilante's Blog

Anyway, the men claimed to be able to talk to many spirits and ghosts on The Spiricom, notably Dr. George Jeffries Mueller, a NASA scientist who offered feedback on The Spiricom's design. O'Neil and Meek recorded 20 hours of conversation with the deceased Dr. Mueller. Follow this link for an example of O'Neil's and Mueller's conversation.

The Spiricom is assembled as so:

...via World ITC

Unremarkably, much controversy surrounds The Spiricom and the work of Meek and O'Neil. Attempts to replicate The Spiricom have been unsuccessful, and it's believed that O'Neil's supernatural medium abilities helped produce the original results. Yes, their haunted telephone sounds sketchy at best.

The likely individual on the 'other side' of the phone...via Free Coloring

Their results are not completely unfounded, as electronic voice phenomena (EVP) is an 'accepted' symptom of a spiritual haunting. Supposedly, ghosts communicate on low-frequency radio bands that are better observed by recording and replaying. By creating a Droste effect on a static television channel, it's believed that spirits are able to communicate and even appear through the TV.

I'm no expert, but I imagine its something akin to that "They're here." scene from Poltergeist.

If you want a jump start on the Halloween hi-jinks, I suggest going over to this page on Youtube which has a brief explanation of trans-communication with spirits through electronics.

As far as the spirit phone goes, I doubt a concept has been derived that already allows humans to communicate with the dead. That doesn't mean it won't happen however. Edison did predict the advent of robots, reinforced concrete, and synthetic gold.

...via Answers

Resources

Wikipedia - EVP

About Paranormal - Edison and the Ghost Machine

Audio Medium - Replication of the Spiricom Results

World ITC - The Research of George W. Meek

Ghost Tech - Spiricom

Vendors and wireless carriers deploy and promote electronic device functionality like location-based services, context-sensitive features, facial-recognition technology, web activity tracking, and cellular network diagnostic tools — all in the name of convenience. Entire business models are built around tracking consumer likes and dislikes. And all this digital data makes it easier to find what you want, when you want it. But is the price in privacy too high? Has society grown insensitive to the use of personal information? Or are adequate safeguards in place? What do you think?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Networking & Communications, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Networking & Communications today.

Consumption of paid content from Internet services like Netflix and
YouTube consumes nearly half the peak bandwidth in the U.S., and the
volume is growing. One factor driving this shift is the increasing
use of mobile devices, game consoles, and smart TVs. Lacking a better
solution, ISPs have set consumer bandwidth quotas. How will these
trends change Internet use? Will ISPs find better ways to meet
bandwidth demands? Is the answer more capacity? What solutions are
most promising? Will consumers simply have to learn to make do with
less?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Networking & Communications, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Networking & Communications today.

Disruptive communications technologies are moving society beyond tradition constructs. The business models and operating practices of fundamental institutions in publishing, advertizing, banking, and retail are being transformed by technologies such as personalization, content-aware widgets, and location tracking. How will government, privacy, and entertainment change? Will most people benefit from the changes? How? Can society control what the future will bring? Should it?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Networking & Communications, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Networking & Communications today.

Do you prefer electronic books or traditional paper books? The digital medium can be less expensive and lighter and can simplify access to almost limitless titles, but paper books have tradition on their side. They also permit easier random browsing. Which medium do you find easier and more satisfying? Do digital books work well with your reading style? Or is there something about holding a traditional book that just feels right?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Networking & Communications, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Networking & Communications today.